Objectives: To determine the association between teenage pregnancy and LBW in a hospital setting at Peshawar, Pakistan.

Methodology: Case control study was conducted between July and December 2014 at Neonatal Care units of Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Cases (Neonates with birth weight < 2.5 kg) and controls (Neonates with birth weight > 2.5kg) were matched for socio-economic status. Data was collected by interviewing, using semi-structured questionnaire. Birth weight of the newborn was measured. Logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the association between teenage pregnancy and low birth weight after adjustment for potential confounding factors.

Results: Total of 330 newborns with 110 cases and 220 controls were analyzed. 219 (66.4%) newborn were male; 84 (76%) of LBW newborn were premature and 26 (7.9%) of full term newborns were with low birth weight (IUGR). 94 (28%) of mothers were < 20 years of age and 63% were uneducated. Prematurity and Intrauterine growth restriction were associated with low birth weight (p=< 0.001) but this was not significant after adjustment for potential confounders. Overall, there was no significant association between teenage pregnancy and low birth weight (Adjusted O.R: 9.03, P-value = 0.164).

Conclusion: LBW was mainly due to prematurity. However, our study could not establish association of LBW with young maternal age.